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October 6, 2014

Title: Should Doctors be Drug Tested?
Topic: Drug Testing Doctors

Discussed by Alex Winslow
with Texas Watch (www.TexasWatch.org)

Roughly five percent of doctors commit over fifty percent of patient harm, resulting in medical malpractice lawsuits. At a time when random drug testing is part of the job for pilots, train operators, police officers, and firefighters, one high-profile line of work has managed to remain exempt: doctors. How many of those irresponsible doctors are high or drunk when performing their job?

In the American Medical Association Journal, they estimated that at least one-third of all physicians experience a time of drug or alcohol impairment on the job during the course of their careers. They also asserted that at least one-third of all patients admitted to a hospital will experience a medical error at some point during their treatment. Was physician impairment to blame for these medical errors?

Alex Winslow, the Executive Director of Texas Watch, discusses why he thinks doctors should be held accountable for their actions, including submitting to random drug tests, monitored and administered by the Texas Medical Review Board. Alex says these men and women are literally holding lives in their hands. They should volunteer to drug testing, in my opinion.

Alex reminds us that ten years ago, the Texas courts took away patient’s rights to obtain what should lawfully be theirs when they enacted TORT reform. The accountability is now gone and doctors can do whatever they want.

Alex encourages everyone to call or email their elected officials and tell them how important this issue is. Log on to www.TexasWactch.org  to learn more about this and other issues facing Texas.

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